Former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland has reportedly been arrested, possibly up to a month ago, and remains in jail for burglary and the possession of methamphetamine.
TMZ reports, police seized the notoriously troubled singer after he stole razors from a Rite-Aid chemist in Beverly Hills. He was then found to be in possession of meth, and has since been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and burglary.
TMZ allege the singer was carrying an “insulated” bag which prevents the shop’s security censors from going off and has been imprisoned for the last four weeks as he is unable to pay the $95,000 bond.
Weiland’s problems with drugs and alcohol are well-documented and were were a contributing reason to his firing from Stone Temple Pilots in 2013, having been replaced by Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Speaking last year about letting Weiland go, STP Bassist Robert DeLeo said the band “really didn’t have any other choice.”
Stone Temple Pilots were due to return to Australia, without Weiland, this year as part of the Soundwave 2014 festival, but pulled out at the last minute citing a “scheduling conflict”.
UPDATE 11:48am 22/08/14: Just a few minutes after Music Feeds published reports of Scott Weiland’s arrest, the singer posted a video on his Facebook page, recorded in a studio, refuting claims he had been in jail for the past month.
“I just got reading something very interesting,” says Weiland. “A nice piece of fiction from TMZ saying that I was in jail and have been for a month. I’ve actually been touring, writing and recording my new album, at the studio we’re in right now. A Los Angeles studio.”
“So all I have to say to our fans is whether you find it funny, or interesting, or whether you’re sad, don’t worry, don’t fret,” he continues. “It’s a lie. TMZ, you’ll be hearing from my attorneys. Thank you.”
While Weiland may have been in the studio recently, a police report confirms that the 46-year-old Weiland was in fact taken into custody and charged with a felony on July 26th. Bail was set at $95,000. According to the report, Weiland is due in court on August 26th.
UPDATE 1:03pm 22/08/14: TMZ now report that the LA County Sherriff’s Dept tell them, “He is definitely in custody. We did a physical check on that inmate and he is currently in custody.” The Beverly Hills Police Department had issued them a press release titled “Celebrity Arrest”, which read, “The suspect, former Stone Temple Pilots band member Scott Weiland (46 years of age), was taken into custody for burglary and possession of a controlled substance.”
UPDATE 2:53pm 22/08/14: There’s been a further twist to this bizarre story with TMZ now reporting that the man in police custody is not former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland and is in fact an “impersonator”. The publication claims police confronted the man they have in custody, who they originally identified and charged as Scott Weiland, and have established that he is not the famed singer. They have now launched an investigation.
UPDATE 10:30am 23/08/14: It’s now been confirmed that the man thought to be Scott Weiland is in fact a 44-year-old doppelgänger named Jason Michael Hurley. Hurley’s true identity was revealed after an FBI fingerprint check was performed. Police believed Hurley to be Weiland for almost a month.
Watch: Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
